"Placenta Encapsulation Instructions - After you deliver" text on brown background with placenta illustration.

Items that you will need to have for a hospital/birth center/home birth:

  • Ice chest insulated cooler bag or disposable foam cooler large enough to fit several gallon size zip lock bags. If you are delivering at a hospital or birth center, they may already have everything you need, so you can call before and ask!

  • Four freezer strength, gallon size zip lock bags.

  • The following information applies to a hospital birth:

    Please inform the hospital upon admission that you will be taking your placenta home with you. There will be a simple release form for you to sign. Remind your provider and staff you will be taking it home at the time of delivery.

    IMPORTANT
    If a provider would like to send the placenta to pathology, ask that the lab remove a portion of the placenta in your room and take it for testing. This is often possible, but you may have to advocate very strongly for this. Then the rest can still be encapsulated. If the entire placenta is sent to pathology, it is no longer suitable for encapsulation. If you develop an infection in the placenta or membranes during labor, or your baby has an infection at birth or immediately afterwards, the placenta is no longer suitable for encapsulation.

    Instructions:

    • Place the placenta in a zip lock bag and place this into a second zip lock bag to prevent leaks.

    • Place this bag between 2 bags filled with ice in ice chest or cooler bag.

    • Call or text 574-347-5258 asap.

    **IMPORTANT** Please place placenta in cooler or transportation kit within 1 hour of delivery. Pick up will be within 24 hours. Please check ice levels to ensure it has not melted until pick up has occurred.

  • Place placenta in a freezer strength, gallon sized, ziplock bag and place this into another zip lock bag to prevent leaks. Place placenta in refrigerator or into a cooler with plenty of ice both above and below placenta. Call or text 574-347-5258 to arrange for pick up!

    Note about refrigerators: Home refrigerators can fluctuate in temperature. It is very important that your placenta stay below 40 degrees F. If you are concerned about the temperature inside your refrigerator, use the ice chest method for storage until pick up, or place into the freezer. Placing the placenta in the freezer may delay encapsulation by 24-48 hours to allow for safe thawing.

    Placenta needs to be on ice or refrigerated with 1 hour of delivery. Pick up will happen within 24 hours.

    In the event of a transfer to the hospital, please see the instructions above for hospital birth.

  • Inform your provider you will be taking your placenta home. Have the placenta placed in a freezer strength, gallon sized, zip lock bag and place this into another zip lock bag to prevent leaks. Place placenta in refrigerator or into a cooler with plenty of ice both above and below placenta.

    Call or text 574-347-5258 for pick up!

    IMPORTANT
    Please place placenta in cooler or transportation kit within 1 hour of delivery. Pick up may occur at the birth center, or you may need to transport it home. Pick up will be within 24 hours. Please check ice levels to ensure it has not melted until pick up has occurred.

    In the event of a transfer to the hospital, please see the instructions for hospital birth.

Pick Up Hours:

After you deliver, I ask that you or your designated person, text or call as soon as possible. I will then arrange a pickup time with you. If you deliver after 6pm, I ask that you only text and that may result in me picking up your placenta the following day.

Thank you so much for choosing me to encapsulate your placenta and congratulations on your new addition.